Daily Readings - Fri Jan 24 2025
Hebrews
6But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.7For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second.8For he finds fault with them when he says: "Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will establish a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,9not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they did not continue in my covenant, and so I showed no concern for them, declares the Lord.10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.11And they shall not teach, each one his neighbor and each one his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.12For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more."13In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Mark
13And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.14And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach15and have authority to cast out demons.16He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter);17James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder);18Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean,19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound reflections on God’s covenant with humanity and the call to discipleship. The first reading from the Letter to the Hebrews speaks of a new and better covenant established by God, one that surpasses the old. This covenant is not written on stone tablets but inscribed on human hearts, promising a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. The old covenant, though good, was limited, and God’s plan was always to fulfill it with something greater. The Gospel from Mark then shifts our focus to the mission of Jesus, who gathers his twelve apostles, empowering them to preach and heal. This passage emphasizes the importance of community and the call to participate in God’s work of redemption.
The connection between these readings lies in the theme of God’s plan unfolding through covenant and mission. The new covenant in Hebrews finds its fulfillment in the community of believers formed by Jesus in Mark. Just as the old covenant was a stepping stone to the new, the apostles represent the beginning of a new people of God, called to live out the teachings of Christ. This relationship highlights the continuity of God’s plan and the central role of community in living out the faith.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to reflect on how we live as people of the new covenant. We are called to be a community on mission, just like the apostles, using our unique gifts and talents to share God’s love with the world. The moral lesson here is one of trust and commitment. Just as the apostles trusted Jesus and followed his call, we too must trust in God’s plan and remain faithful to our mission. Let us ask ourselves: Am I living as a new covenant person, with God’s laws inscribed on my heart? Am I part of a community that reflects God’s love and mercy? May we embrace our role in God’s plan, trusting that He will guide us as we strive to live out the Gospel in our daily lives.